The Nire 0-10 Rathgormack 0-08
Inter-county stars Conor Gleeson and Jamie Barron inspired The Nire to their first back-to-back Conway Cup success since 1994 with a 0-10 to 0-08 victory, condemning Rathgormack to a third successive senior Waterford SFC final reversal at Walsh Park.
"We just dug the heels in, put the shoulder to the wheel and we're delighted with the win," said Barron, one of several outstanding performers for Michael Ryan’s charges this afternoon.
At the break, the sides were tied on five points apiece with The Nire surely the happier given the strength of the wind they faced.
Rathgormack made the better start and opened the scoring through a Jason Curry free in the second minute following a foul on Mairtín Power.
Three minutes later, they doubled their lead through Conor Murray who struck cleanly from the right flank following James Power’s pass.
By the seventh minute, the challengers were three clear thanks to Stephen Curry, who bisected the uprights from a tight angle right of Stephen Ryan’s crossbar. But The Nire replied immediately through Conor Gleeson, who was sent goalward by Kyle Cuddy’s assist.
Dominating the high ball and commanding their own high and hanging kick-outs, The Nire began to settle into the contest.
Dermot Ryan’s 15th minute free left just a point between the sides before the defending champions drew level seven minutes later as Ryan’s second converted successfully navigated the wind. But parity was retained for barely a minute thanks to a finely struck point by Billy Power.
Congratulations to @NireFourmile 🏆🏆🏆@JJKavanaghBuses Senior Football Champions 2022! pic.twitter.com/igYqXSaXR9
— Waterford GAA (@WaterfordGAA) October 30, 2022
With Sean Walsh and Tholom Guiry in commanding form at centre-field, The Nire’s confidence continued to grow.
A chain of passes linking Ciaran Walsh, Aaron Ryan and Conor Gleeson concluded with a 24th minute point for Gleeson with Rathgormack surely wondering what had become of their early momentum.
Two minutes from the interval, Aaron Ryan steered the ball brilliantly over the bar off the outside of this right boot to send The Nire ahead for the first time. But the sides went in level thanks to a well-struck effort by Rathgormack’s Glen Power, who capitalised on Billy Power’s crossfield pass.
The second half began with a Conor Murray shot cannoning off the post and wide for Rathgormack, one of several moments that felt critical come Tadhg Tobin’s full-time whistle.
Five minutes after the restart, Conor Gleeson found his range with a super point from wide on the left and he pointed again via a free two minutes later. Jason Curry’s 38th minute point steadied the ship from Rathgormack’s perspective but even by then it was clear that they were finding it tough to breach The Nire’s defence.
The fleet-footed Barron, played in by Ciaran Walsh, put two points between the sides in the 40th minute. Conor Murray converted his second point following fine work by Willie Hahessy on the three quarter hour mark but, critically, the next point went The Nire’s way through Aaron Ryan following a short 45 by Dermot Ryan.
With Conor Gleeson leaving the field with a suspected dislocated shoulder in the 58th minute, the game remained in the balance. In the first additional minute, substitute Jason Gleeson sent over a point which left just the minimum between the sides. But the Conway Cup’s destination was sealed barely a minute later thanks to Aaron Ryan’s point, assisted by the brilliant Barron.
The Nire: S Ryan; F Hallinan, S Boyce, J Mulcahy; T Barron, J McGrath, D Ryan (0-02f); S Walsh, T Guiry; A Ryan (0-03), C Gleeson (0-04; 0-01f), J Barron (0-01); C Walsh, D Guiry, K Cuddy.
Subs: C Guiry for C Walsh (48), M Moore for C Gleeson (58).
Rathgormack: P Hunt; C Crowch, C Walsh, L Connolly; G Power (0-01), M Power, W Hahessy; D Hennebry, M Curry; B Power (0-01), C Murray (0-02), R Elliffe; J Power, S Curry (0-01), J Curry (0-02; 0-01f).
Subs: J Gleeson for J Curry (Blood, 26-27), J Gleeson (0-01f) for R Elliffe (42) and R Flynn for G Power (48).
Referee: Tadhg Tobin (Brickey Rangers)
